Broken
by Xx.fade2black
Summary: After his parents died, Sasuke swore he'd never open up to anyone else. What happens when he meets Naruto Uzumaki? AU fic, SasuNaru
1. Memories

An:: Well, I don't own Naruto, and nor will I ever.

Pairings:: None yet… To be Sasunaru. For now, it's just the beginning.

OOO

**Broken Chapter 1 : Memories**

I remember the day clearly, as if it was yesterday… everything changed that day, there was no way anything could be the same… I remember how I used to believe in magic, how something could just disappear at someone's will. How maybe love existed, and how perfect the world could be… I remember I used to be innocent, a child that was always in trouble for breaking the lamp, or running in the house…

I remember feeling so excited, school was finally over for winter break, and I didn't have to go back to my awful third grade classroom for two glorious weeks. It would be amazing, I could feel it. My father was in the middle of teaching me the coolest magic tricks, each night he'd get the magic set out, and like he taught my brother before me, it was my turn now.

I knew the way home by heart, my father had walked me home every day from school, showing me all of the buildings in the Uchiha District of the town, who they belonged to, and how they were related to my family. He'd tell me all the histories, and I would be so mesmerized by the stories, I would forget how long the walk home was.

Today was my first day walking home alone. I couldn't believe my father finally trusted me, surely he would have sent Itachi to escort me home, after all, Itachi was a 'big boy'. But my father told me he and my mother would be at home waiting for me, and now that I was eight years old, the walk wouldn't be that awful. Most of the walk was through the Uchiha District of town anyway, my relatives would never lay a finger on me.

I had forgotten how long the walk home was. Without my father talking, time seemed to pass way too slowly. I didn't mind it though, being trusted to walk home by myself was an honor. I was in the Uchiha District now, though it was only the early afternoon, it seemed like everything was quiet. There were few lights in the houses, and no one outside walking. Everything seemed so desolate.

The silence frightened me, everything seemed so dull, so dark. As I walked further into the Uhicha District, my mind began to wander, what if I'm not in the right place, what if I've taken a wrong turn? No, I knew where I was, I was going home, the same way my father took me every day.

I knew where I was when I reached my street. The cold air became warmer, I could hear loud crackling of fire, and I could smell burning wood. As I walked further down my street, I could see what was on fire. It knocked the wind out of me. Itachi was standing outside our burning house, looking up at the house as the orange flames swallowed it. In his hand was the magic set.

"Itachi!" I cried out, he turned towards me, smiling a smile that just didn't belong on his face, it wasn't the smile I was used to, it was a new smile, and a new Itachi. "Brother!"

"Sasuke," Itachi said coolly, there was no love in his voice. We could have been arch rivals. Tears streamed down my face, I couldn't understand why Itachi wasn't going to get help, why he was just standing there. Thoughts jumbled through my mind, the heat from the fire was too much, and the smoke was starting to sting my nose.

"Why aren't you going to get help?" I asked, the heat was almost too unbearable with my coat on, I could feel the sweat running down the back of my neck. "Itachi, do something!" I cried, my voice cracked, and another wave of tears came over me.

"Mom and Dad are inside," Itachi said, there was no emotion in his voice, no desire to save them. I could see his black eyes, they were filled with hate. He looked like a demon with the flames reflecting in his eyes. I felt like screaming, not because of how Itachi looked nothing like the boy he was yesterday, or even this morning, not because I suddenly felt scared, but because it hit me.

Itachi had set the house on fire.

"You did it!" I screamed, running at him with my hands clenched into fists. No mater how hard I hit him, it wouldn't do anything. He could kill me right here, with only a few punches. I was no mach for him, but I had to do something.

Itachi held me off, pushing me aside with one hand, as if I were only a mouse. He held up the magic set, showing it to me. I could see a smile on his face, it was the smile of a murderer, not the smile of my brother. "Do you want it?" he asked, taunting me with narrowed eyes.

I nodded, anything to keep my father in my heart now that he was burning to a crisp because Itachi set the house on fire. I knew Itachi wouldn't give it to me, but I had to try. The tears poured down my face as he held out the box that was the closest thing I had to my father now. I took a step forward, holding out my hand to take the box.

"If it means so much to you, Sasuke, then go get it!" I was inches away from taking the box, inches away from having it in my arms to keep. And Itachi ruined it; he moved his hand away and flung the box into the fire.

I couldn't hold it in any longer, it all happened at once. My legs gave out, and I fell to the ground, the tears flowing uncontrollably down my face. And I was screaming. It was all over, there was no escaping the future that awaited me. The ground where I was laying was warm, there was no snow here, it had melted from the fire.

I looked up at Itachi, I couldn't see his face, but I could tell he was smiling. Evil joy was flooding over him, and he was free. He never had to worry about sneaking out, about getting grounded again; he was free from the burden of our parents.

I could feel the fire getting closer to me, it was spreading quickly, and there was no one to call the police. Itachi watched me, I could feel his evil glare on me as I laid on the ground. I was too scared to move, but if I didn't, I would face the same fate as my parents.

I watched as Itachi came closer, would he push me into the fire? Terror filled my body, and when his hand grabbed me, I screamed. "Get off me," my throat burned as I shouted, trying to pull out of his grasp. I thrashed around, screaming loudly in hopes that someone would hear me.

"Stop squirming, damn kid," Itachi growled, moving me away from the fire. Was he protecting me, even after he'd set the house on fire and killed our parents? He had no reason to save me.

"NO!" I screamed, the volume of my scream burning my throat, a fresh wave of tears running down my face. I was shivering, not because I was cold, but from the terror of what just happened. I could feel my body shaking in Itachi's grasp. He held me securely as he walked away from the burning house.

I looked back, the flames were now devouring the surrounding houses, and the air was getting colder. Why was he saving me? I could only think of one reason why he didn't let me stay there to die. He was going to murder me in a worse way than he did our parents. He was going to destroy me.

I screamed, still trying to break Itachi's hold on me, still trying to get away from the evil that Itachi was. I screamed, again and again, waiting for Itachi to scold me, to drop me in anger. But it never happened.

When he finally put me down, I could no longer smell the burning wood of our house. We were far enough away that all I could see when I looked back, was smoke. A fire truck flew past us, only making my stomach do summersaults and the tears flow harder. I turned away from him, to scared to move, to afraid that he'd chase me down with a sword and cut me to pieces.

Itachi didn't move. When I looked back up at him, he was glaring down at me, like he was frozen. When I turned around again, Itachi opened his mouth to talk.

"It's over, Sasuke," Itachi said, he was calm, but his voice was filled with anger, filled with hate for the young boy who stood in front of him "And you're next," Itachi growled the last words.

Sasuke's body was stiff, he couldn't move even if he wanted to. His body was full of hate towards Itachi, "NO!" Sasuke shouted, turning around and glaring at Itachi, "You'll be next, even if it's the last thing I do!" tears erupted from Sasuke's eyes as he screamed at Itachi, pointing his finger at the older boy's face.

"Well, then, lets make this a game," Itachi said, smiling a twisted, evil grin. "who will win?" he murmured, he held out his hand for Sasuke to shake, "Next time we meet, little brother," Itachi began

Sasuke took his hand, shaking it, "You're going down," they said simultaneously. Nothing Sasuke ever experienced before could compare to the hate he felt now for Itachi. Brother turned against brother.

Sasuke watched Itachi leave. The wind got stronger and fresh snow began to fall from the sky. Sasuke sighed, he had no where to go, nothing to keep him warm. He turned his back on his brother and wandered aimlessly through the snow-filled streets.

He had trusted Itachi, they were brothers, related. How could someone do something so wrong? To leave their younger brother out in the world alone like that? It was inhuman and wrong.

Sasuke could feel his heart burning, like a knife had stabbed right through his heart. It hurt to think about the events that led up to where he was now. Sasuke sat down on a park bench. He wrapped his coat around his small body and narrowed his eyes.

The pain he was feeling was the pain of broken trust. Sasuke's eyes drooped, and he laid down on the bench, vowing never to let anyone into his life again. Never would he feel the pain that he felt now.

He would never succumb to love again. But his world had gone from color to sudden black and white, like a tv with bad reception. The channel had changed, and Sasuke would never be the same again…

OOO

An:: I hope you enjoyed it. That's only the beginning, I'm sorry it was awfully short, but more to come later.


	2. Starting Over

An:: Well, here you go, chapter two . I cannot promise chapters this fast. I have a report due in a week, so it may take a while to get the chapters up, but be patient!!

OOO  
**Broken Chapter 2 : Starting Over**

I woke up in a strange environment. It was warm and stuffy in the room, many children were laying in their beds, asleep. There was only one light, and it came from the moon outside the window. I got out of my bed, carefully examining the room around me. Every bed had at least one child in it, some even had two. There was one long isle down the center of the room, and there were book bags and clothes scattered around the floor in between beds.

I carefully walked over to the window. The snow was falling thickly down, covering the ground with white powder. I sighed and climbed up onto the window ledge. It was cold from the slightly open window. It was open to get fresh air, I assumed. Quietly, I shut the window, and looked outside.

Itachi was out there somewhere, and I had to find him and kill him. I watched the snow fall, few people were outside at this hour, I guessed it was at least midnight, judging by the position of the moon in the sky.

I heard voices coming from the hallway, and a light flicked on, shining through the crack in the door. I held my breath, and slowly, lowered myself from the window. I heard someone touch the door, it rattled the slightest bit. My eyes widened with fear as I froze mid step.

Nothing happened, it was quiet for a moment, then the talking began again in the hall. I tiptoed quietly back to my bed, flinching at every sound I heard.

As soon as I was safe in the comfort of the covers, the door opened, and light poured into the room. An old gray-haired lady with a rat like face poked her head in the doorway, she glared around the room, her eyes falling on me. She stared for a moment, her face was not quite as menacing as it was seconds before. She shook her head and withdrew it from the door, closing it quietly and plunging the room back in darkness.

I sat up, pearls of sweat falling from my face. I wasn't the least bit tired, I didn't know how I fell asleep before, but every time I closed my eyes I saw fire. I wanted to scream, loudly, I wanted to cry, and most of all, I wanted to be at home with my parents.

But it would never happen. I would never show my emotion to anyone, they'd fuss over me and pretend to love me, but it wouldn't be good enough. There was no such thing as love, nothing could prevail over tragedy. Absolutely nothing.

Finally, my eyes closed and I drifted off into a sleep full of fire.

I was alone in a barren city. Itachi's voice was coaxing me towards our house. The house stood tall, proud, the way it was before the fire. Was everything going to be better? I couldn't be sure. But I followed what Itachi's voice was telling me.

_You know you want to go back there, everything will be better. Mom and Dad are sitting inside waiting for you_.

No, there was no going back, everything was destroyed. I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks, and I tried to hold myself back. But to see mom and dad again would be better than anything.

_That's right Sasuke, they're waiting for you_ Itachi's voice rang out.

NO! Remember what you promised Sasuke, you'd never love again, not after what happened.

But it was too strong, I could feel the pull like a magnet. All I could do was watch myself be destroyed by Itachi.

I reached the house and looked in the window. Everything seemed safe enough, the tv was on, and it looked exactly the way I'd left it this morning.

_Go inside, Sasuke_ Itachi's smooth voice whispered in my ear. _Mom and Dad are waiting for you_

No! I don't trust you, Itachi! I screamed in my mind, spinning around to locate the whereabouts of my brother. But he was no where to be seen.

My body, unwillingly, walked over to the door. I grabbed the doorknob, twisting it slightly.

I heard a scream, and my hand flew off the doorknob. It took me a minute to realize that I was the one screaming. The doorknob was scalding hot. My hand stung with the pain.

_Don't worry, Sasuke, it's just a little pain._ Itachi's voice melted in my ears _You'll have to put up with a lot more than that if you want to destroy me_.

He was right, what was a little pain? I grabbed the doorknob again and flung the door open, The tv turned off, like someone pulled the plug. I took one step farther inside, and suddenly a piercing scream knocked me to my knees.

"Sasuke" a whisper caught my ear. I stood up again, "Sasuke," the voice called again. It was weak with pain. I heard another scream, it echoed through my ears and without thinking, I ran forward towards the noise.

The house erupted in fire, everything turned orange from the flames.

I ran through the house, trying to find where the screaming came from. I knew who it was, but I had to see the proof to believe it.

I bumped into something, knocking the wind out of me. I looked up, Itachi stood with his back to me, and in front of him were our parents. Beaten to death by their own son.

I screamed, the smoke from the fire must be playing tricks on me.

"So glad you could make it, Sasuke," Itachi's said, his voice even and burning with hate and anger.

I closed my eyes and screamed again. I shivered as cold water fell down my face, drenching me. My eyes flew open and I was back in the cramped room.

"Where am I?" I asked, though it wasn't much of a question, my voice had no expression, just flat words escaped my mouth. I noticed the old rat lady from last night held a bucket. I blinked a couple of times, "What is this place?"

"Your parents are dead," Rat Lady said, her voice full of sorrow.

"I know," I said blankly, sitting up in my bed. I hadn't noticed last night, but someone had changed my clothes into blue striped pajamas to match all the other boys in the room.

"You were screaming really loudly in your sleep," a tiny redhead boy said to me, I blinked a couple of times, this was new information. I knew I had screamed in my dreams, but was that screaming real?

"I was?" I spoke again, not really adding the expression of emotion.

"This is the orphanage," Rat Lady said, placing the bucket on a chair and walking over to me, "We found you on a bench in the park." Well, that explained how I got here during my sleep.

"He's gone," I murmured, blinking my eyes, almost angry that Itachi was gone, but not quite. My voice was still flat, no emotion struck me. "I must kill him," I whispered, so quietly it was almost impossible to hear. Rat Lady's eyes bulged.

"You cannot do such a thing!" she exclaimed, "You're still in shock from your house burning down, it was all an accident, you'll be alright by tomorrow."

"No," I said, grabbing her arm, pulling her towards me, "He murdered them." I whispered, not letting the tears that were building in my eyes spill over. I would not show my pain to anyone, not even to the woman who now technically had custody over me.

"Who?" she asked. I shook my head, "What's your name, boy?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," I whispered. I could feel the color draining from my face, Itachi was gone, and I had to get to him before he got to me. But for now, everything was put into place, it all snapped suddenly.

I was alone, my last family member was trying to kill me, and I was stuck here at an orphanage.

What was worse, my parents were dead. I would never get to see them again. Not until the day I died, which could be soon seeing as Itachi was after me.

"Well, get up," Rat Lady sighed, "There's work to be done," she gently removed my hand from her thick forearm, and turned around, yelling at the boys who had gathered around my bed.

It wasn't over yet. I'd get stronger, and I'd destroy my brother.

For now, I'd have to reconstruct my life… Starting with the chores Rat Lady had assigned us.

OOO

An:: Yet another short chapter, but everything is leading up to the true beginning of the story. Just wait… I promise it will get better!!


	3. Sweet Sixteen

An:: It's such a dramatic change when I write my stories in 7.5 font and go to size nine. It makes me feel like I've accomplished a lot ;)

OOO

**Broken Chapter 3 : Sweet Sixteen**

I woke up to Rat Lady screaming in my face. She had been so nice to me at first, but that was only because I was dealing with the beginning pains of my parents' deaths. Everyone told me I'd get better, but I only got worse.

It seemed to bother Rat Lady that I never fully healed from the fire. For me, it was what I wanted. It bothered her that I would only speak when spoken to first, and that I spent my time sitting on the window seal like I had that first night in the orphanage. Everyone expected me to recover, but instead I spent my time building barriers around myself so I _wouldn't _recover.

Rat Lady, I soon learned, hated me. She would constantly give me tasks that involved other kids around me. At first, everyone crowded around the 'new boy', but after many glares coming from my side, most people soon backed off. Rat Lady seemed to hate me because I wasn't afraid of her, nor did I get upset at her angry words. This bugged her, she was used to power.

But Rat Lady was exactly the type of person I needed. Someone who would hate me, not love me. She was perfect; it seemed masochistic that I would do stupid things to receive punishments from her. Anything that would make it seem like no one liked me, that no one cared, those small things made me feel _happy_ even if I made no move to show it.

Still, I cherished the day that I would finally leave the orphanage, looking forward to it every second of my life.

That day finally came eight years later. The mental wall around me was strong enough to repel even Rat Lady. No one smiled at me anymore, no one ever tried to talk to me as my replies were usually two to three syllables. No one cared about me, and I cared about no one.

I first saw my new guardian in Rat Lady's open house. The second he looked into my eyes I could feel pain. He knew what I'd gone through, and I knew he'd gone through something similar. He had a mask over his nose and mouth, and a bandana over his left eye. It was like he was hiding himself from the world, like me.

He seemed perfect.

"Are you sure you want Sasuke?" Rat Lady warned, sending a glare in my direction. The man nodded, his silver hair flopping into his covered face. He brushed his hair away

"I'd be glad to take him off your full hands," the man spoke. Rat Lady looked relieved, but at the same time, it looked as if she felt the need to warn him about me.

"Sir, I know how much you might like the boy now, but he never talks," Rat Lady tried to explain. The man just held up one hand, not wanting to hear more. "He doesn't do anything, for that matter," she exclaimed.

"That won't change my mind," the man said. He spoke calmly, without much expression. I don't know how, but after all those years of closing my self off to people, I seemed to be opening myself up to him, just the slightest bit. I wanted to know more about him, why he seemed so much like me.

Rat Lady gave the man a warning look as if to say 'you'll regret it'. "He doesn't like anyone, how can you be so sure he'll be happy?" Rat Lady asked, "It won't make you happy to have an unhappy child,"

The word child ripped at my heart. Would that mean he was to be my _parent_, the one thing I didn't want in my life. The one thing that would bring back the memories of my parents, that would bring back the nightmares.

I crossed my arms and glared at the man; suddenly, I didn't care whether he suffered the same past, I couldn't open up to anyone, I would not love.

The car ride to his house was uneventful. Little was said, and I was glad for it. He wasn't a man of many words, and neither was I. The less talking, the less we'd pretend to get along. And the less likely I'd be shipped back to the orphanage to suffer from Rat Lady's punishments.

I looked him up and down, "father," I sighed, not calling him father, I never would. I wouldn't return to my past. The word felt like venom in my mouth. It was thing I'd said in six years where someone hadn't asked me a question first.

The man looked at me, "My name is Kakashi, you don't need to call me your father if you don't want to." He said, his voice broken slightly. "I know I could never be a father to you," somehow, the thought that he knew my past, that he knew how I felt fell into my mind. I nodded.

"My name is Sasuke," I said, my voice was dry and bland. I never talked with any expression, nor did I ever display my feelings. If Rat Lady made me feel like shit, I wouldn't cry about it, not in front of anyone else, anyway.

"I know," Kakashi said, shaking his head. He didn't look at me, but he kept his eyes on the road at all times. I couldn't see his expression, like he was hiding just as much as I was. "I know what it's like to loose someone you love," Kakashi said quietly. My head snapped in his direction.

"Your uncle, he died before you were born," Kakashi began, "Was my best friend." I stared at him. My uncle, I'd heard of him before, but rarely was he talked about. He died when my father was two, they were twelve years apart. I never knew the whole story, and completely forgot about him now.

It didn't matter how they all died, my whole family but Itachi and I were gone now.

"He died saving me," Kakashi said, for the first time since I met him, he spoke with expression. I guessed this was a pretty big thing for him "He pushed me aside, and the car hit him instead," Kakashi shook his head.

"You must feel guilty over the death of your best friend, then," I said. Kakashi laughed,

"Yes," he sighed, "But I got you to say more than four syllables at once," he laughed, I caught myself before I smiled. It wouldn't have been a real smile anyway.

The emotionless mask was back on my face when we reached his house minutes later. It wasn't large, but I didn't expect it to be. We weren't in the Uchiha District, I didn't expect the houses to be fancy.

Even though all the Uchihas but Itachi and I were gone, the district where our family once lived was still named after us, to honor the great, noble family that once lived there.

Kakashi killed the engine of the car and turned to me, "welcome home," he said. I think he smiled, but I couldn't tell through his mask. He walked around the car and opened the passenger door, holding it open for me.

I didn't expect kindness like this, and it ripped a hole through my heart. I didn't deserve this. I pushed the emotion out of my head, and got out of the car. I nodded as I made eye contact with Kakashi's one eye. He nodded in return, seemingly surprised at the gesture. It was some kind of friendship, I guessed.

"Here's your room," Kakashi said, extending his hand towards the plain room in front of us. I blinked, slowly taking a step towards the white bed. Everything was white, except for the black computer on a desk in the corner of the room. "I hope you like it,"

I nodded and sat down on the bed. It was better than sleeping with little kids always asking you to read them bedtime stories. I looked into Kakashi's face, or what little of his face I could see.

"Well," he said, I was sure from the tone of his voice, that he was smiling, "Do you like it?" I couldn't think of what to say, years had gone by without me expressing any emotion towards anyone, and I couldn't quit now. I wasn't even sure if I remembered how to be sincere and thank Kakashi for what he was doing for me. To be honest, I didn't know if I actually appreciated it.

I nodded, it was better than talking, or saying something stupid so that Kakashi would look at me weirdly and walk away. At least I was showing some kind of thanks without getting over emotional about it.

I wandered around the room, everything was white and bland. It was perfect for me, I guessed. Nothing showed that I would be interested in anything, and I really didn't like anything. It was perfect in every sense of the word. I watched Kakashi turn and leave, quietly shutting the door behind him. I looked down at my feet, no one had ever been this kind to me since my parents were alive.

I shook it off. Uchihas were not weak, so why should I be?

I laid back on the bed. It was soft and comforting to my back, the complete opposite of the hard beds of the orphanage. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. It was white like the rest of the room, a white fan hanging from the center of the ceiling for when it got too hot in Konoha. I closed my eyes, letting my mind wander.

"Sasuke," I heard Kakashi's voice echo though my ears. I checked the clock, 5:00. I guessed it would be time for dinner. I opened the door to my new room and walked down the stairs. I had left my shoes in my room, but the carpet felt good against my socked feet. I walked into the kitchen, Kakashi was talking with another man, his dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"So, Kakashi, this is the boy?" the man asked, turning towards me with friendly eyes. I looked away from him, not daring to make eye contact. "The Uchiha?" he added, my head snapped up. How did everyone seem to know who I was?

"Yes," Kakashi said, he gave the man a thumbs up, then turned to me. "Sasuke, this is Iruka, he's our neighbor." I nodded towards the man, Iruka. Kakashi turned back to Iruka, "Where's Naruto?" he asked.

"He's at soccer practice," Iruka sighed, "I told him once he got home to come on over," the man checked his watch, "He should be coming soon,"

And as if Iruka said the magic words, there was a knock at the door, and I was sent to open it. A tall blonde boy stood in the doorway wearing his soccer uniform and flip flops, and holding a pair of socks and cleats in his hands. He gave me a strange look and walked past me, He dumped his sports bag on the ground in the hallway, leaving his disgusting-smelling cleats and socks on top of his bag.

"Hey, Iruka," he smiled, a genuine smile on his face. A smile that I could never manage to copy or ever muster, not even from the bottom of the black abyss that some people would call a heart.

"Who's he?" the blonde boy asked, pointing at me and not trying to cover up his rude gesture. I glared at him, it wasn't common courtesy to point at someone.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Kakashi answered promptly, giving Naruto a warning look, "His parents are dead and now he's living with me," I nodded, hoping I looked somewhat thankful for Kakashi saving my ass.

Naruto shrugged and sat down in a seat at the round table. I noticed Kakashi had lived alone until now, so it made me wonder why his table was large enough to fit five people. I sat down across the table from the Naruto, and listened idly to Kakashi and Iruka's conversation.

"You look like you have a stick up your ass, Uchiha," Naruto hissed across the table. I glared back at him, he was being a pain in the ass, and like everyone else, I was sure I wouldn't like him either. Naruto smirked and shrugged. "What, can't I speak my mind?" he asked, teasing me in a baby voice. No, I was wrong, I wouldn't not like him…I would hate him.

I thought of growling at him, possibly to say something rude in return. But I stayed emotionless, keeping the hatred towards this boy to myself. I turned away and tuned out of the world, humming in my head to keep the noises from the kitchen out of my mind.

Naruto's eyes were focused on me, and I could feel his gaze, looking me over. Dinner was slow, Naruto munched with his mouth open, letting everyone see the food in his mouth.

The dinner was great, it really was. It was the most decent meal I'd eaten in many years. But the conversation bored me. I got up, nodding my thanks to Kakashi and exiting the room. It was impolite, sure, but I was never one to be nice to someone. After eight years of blocking my emotions from other people, I wasn't even sure I could _be _nice to anyone.

Damn Itachi to hell…

That night, the nightmares returned. I twisted in my sleep, fearing that after everything that Kakashi did for me today, Itachi would burn this house down too, or kill Kakashi mercilessly while I was away at school. It almost scared me to think I had to go back, to leave the safety of my home and dare the days of high school and the obvious emotions of everyone around me.

Emotions, out of everything to be afraid of, besides Itachi, showing anything more than the emotionless mask I would wear, truly frightened me. The fact that someone would know how I was feeling, to try and comfort me, to get to close. To think that I would have friends, people who would be put in danger when Itachi came back to look for me. I couldn't deal with it. What if I put another person in danger, what if someone else was killed because of me. After suffering through the deaths of my parents, I wasn't sure how far I could go with someone else, when there was a murderer after me who could kill someone with a couple of punches to the gut.

The fire came back to my mind, visions of Itachi killing Kakashi played back again and again in my mind, until I woke up to the shaking of my bed. I looked around, could Itachi have already come? Shivers were sent down my spine as I looked out the window. Everything was calm, serine, and perfect. My arms unconsciously wrapped around my body, holding me together so I wouldn't explode. I reached one arm out to turn on the light, and I realized that my body was the source of the shaking.

I got out of bed and put on my sweatshirt. It was warm and soft, and I felt somewhat secure wearing it. I walked back to my bed, holding onto anything that was sturdy enough to keep me from falling to the ground with every step I took. My body refused to stop shivering, and It wasn't from the cold, but from the possibility of Itachi coming back to finish me off once and for all.

I closed my eyes and got into bed. I buried my head into my pillow and took a few deep breaths. It happened before, but not nearly as bad as now. Whenever I thought about Itachi, my body seemed to go crazy, but never before had I needed to protect someone like Kakashi, so never before had the shivering gone to it's maximum as it was now. The one thing I refused to do; however, was let my emotions get to me, I blocked them all off, keeping everything away from me.

Just forcing myself to sleep was torture. The shivering wouldn't stop, and I couldn't control it. I walked to the bathroom, wobbling every so often, and keeping one hand firmly pressed to the wall at all times. I could feel the pearls of sweat drop down the back of my neck, and down my shirt. I could feel the goose bumps on my arms and legs.

I reached the bathroom, and guiltily looked through the cabinet, I could easily take an overdose of aspirin, or possibly sleeping pills, I'd done it before, and it seemed painless. It wasn't hard to find something that would easily knock me out. Everyone had some kind of aspirin or pain killers in their bathrooms.

I took two pills, swallowing them with a cup of water, and shakily walked back to my room. It was the first time in three years that I had taken pills to help myself get to sleep. After I had been busted in Rat Lady's supply of pain killers for her arthritis when I was thirteen, and she had punished me in evil ways, I had stayed clear of her quarters of the orphanage.

Tonight, though, Kakashi would never notice.

I had read the label of the bottle, making sure that they were adult pills and one was enough to kill all of the pain. Two should be the magic number, and if it didn't work, I didn't think Kakashi would miss a third.

I felt almost guilty 'breaking and entering' like this. They weren't my pills to take, yet surely Kakashi would never notice. I wobbled back to my room, almost at once feeling my eyes get droopy. I smiled briefly, and curled up in my bed, letting the pills take me into a calm, dreamless sleep.

OOO

An:: Well, that last part was unexpected. I never thought I'd have Sasuke do that… yet it seemed perfect for him to do…


End file.
